Wire basket bunker for refrigerator cars



March 31, 1931. w. B. HALL 1,793,532

WIRE BASKET BUNKER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Sept. 24, 1928 3Sheets-Sheet l In venior William s zazz Wiinees Z5 March 31, 1931. w. B.HALL WIRE BASKET BUNKER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Sept. 24, 1928 3Sheets-Sheet 2 March 31, 1931 w. B. HALL WIRE BASKET BUNKER FORREFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Sept. 24, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 In u nioz"Willa/n3. Wall y 'JW' 31 w. I

Airy.

Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM B. HALL, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION RAILNVAY EQUIP- MEN T COMPANY, OFCHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS WIRE BASKET BUNKER FOR REFRIGERATORCARS Application filed September 24, 1928. Serial No. 307,915.

This invention relates to improvements in wire basket bunkers forrefrigerator cars.

In the construction of refrigerator cars it is a common practice at thepresent time to coni struct the ice bunkers of mesh wire of relativelyheavy gauge to'provide what is known as a basket bunker for thereception of the ice. These bunkers occupy space at each end of therefrigerator car, from which they are walled oif by the provision of abulkhead which is of a size to afford space above and below the bulkheadfor the circulation of air. In charging the basket bunkers with ice,particularly where salt is employed to lower the melting point, itfrequently happens that the ice and salt become caked in such a way asto impede the free circulation of air through the ice in the bunker,which is essential in order to disseminate the cooling effect 2 of theice in the bunkers throughout the storage space in the interior of thecar. In view of the fact that the maintenance of the air circulation isentirely dependent upon gravity, and due to the tendency of the cold airto fall to the floor and displace the warm air in the interior of thecar, it is highly important that the circulation be maintained, and thatthe surface exposure of the ice be increased as much as possiblewithinlimits, 80 in order that the air may be cooled more rapidly and anadequate circulation maintained. V

The'object of the present invention is to meet these conditions by theprovision of foraminous fines preferably constructed of wire1nesh,'which may be located singly, or preferably in groups of three,Within each bunker, and so arranged as to exclude the ice from theinterior of the flue or flues, so that the Q fines will at all timesafford unobstructed passageways for the downfiow of the cold air, andwill also have the effect of increasing the surface exposure of the iceto the degree required to insure an adequate cooling efiect.

V 1: The present invention is designed primarily for installation incars having ice bunkers of the present standard construction, into whichthe flues may be introduced without rebuilding the present structure,although it is 0 equally adapted for use in new installations.

- Further objects and details will appear from a description of theinvention, in conjunction with the drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of the end of a refrigerator carthrough the bunker, and showing the fines of the present inventionarranged in a group of three;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View, taken on line 22 of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the invention correspondingsubstantially to the line 33 of Figure 1;

' Fig. 4 is top view of one of the sideflues of the group illustrated inFigure l; and

Figure 5'is an enlarged view of the bottom frame of one of the finescorresponding to the line v5-5 of Figure 1.

The fines of the present invention are applied to a bunker located in acar having side walls 10, an end wall 11, and a floor 12. The bunkerspace is separated from the interior of the car by the provision of abulk head 13, which is spaced in the usual manner from the floor andceiling of the car to afford passages for the circulation of air, thebulkhead being attached to verticalposts 130 arranged at intervals in aWell-known manner. Vertical supporting posts 140 are also providedatintervals along the end wall and are utilized as supports in amanner'herein after referred to.

The floor of the bunker space is afforded by a plurality of slatsections 14, which as shown are arranged in groups having their endssupported upon bars 15 of inverted T formation. The groups of slatsections are connected by means of tie bolts 16 and spacer blocks 17 andare suitably supported in the bunker by means well known in the art. Itis not deemed necessary to further describe these details, which'are ofstandard construction and are not special to the pres ent construction;I c,

The basket bunker is provided with a front wall 18 of wire meshformation, and a rear wall 19, and side walls 20 constructed of the samematerial, which affords a'mesh receptacle for the retention of the ice.

. The flues of'the present invention are preferably arranged in a groupof three, com- IOU prising a middle flue 21 of the full height of thecar at the peak of the ceiling, and two side fines 22 each of lowerheight. 111 general, the construction of the middle flue and side finesis the same, with one exception presently to be noted, so that in themain the description of one will suffice for all.

Each of the fines is constructed of wire mesh to afford side walls 28and end walls 24. As shown, the construction is rectangular, althoughthe fines might be cylindrical or other configuration in cross section.

The mesh walls of the flues at the lower ends embrace a metalic framecomprising side walls 25 and end walls 26. The side and end walls of theframe are flanged, the flanges 27 being bent outwardly to afford a basefor attachment to the slats composing the floor of the bunker space. Asshown, the center flue occupies a space between an adjacent pair ofinverted T beams, and in this instance attachment is made by theprovision of angle clips 28 which are riveted to and depend from theflanges of the bottom frame with their edges in closely adjacentrelation to the inverted Tbeams, and also in closely abutting relationto the contiguous faces of the wooden slats, so that the angle clips 28serve to position the base of the middle flue and prevent displacementthereof, without the necessity of providing positive, means forattachment, although such means might be readily pro vided if occasionshould require.

The side fines are secured in a similar manner, but in the installationillustrated each side flue occupies a space immediately above one of theT beams, and in this instancethe angle clips 280 are located in positionto embrace the opposite. sides of the T beam, and to abut closelyagainst the contiguous faces of the wooden slats, so that displacementis prevented.

The lower frames just cured to thecorners thereof four upright posts 29constituting corner posts for the fine, and in the case of the centerflue these posts are of a length to extendto the top of the car, wherethey are secured to an upper frame 30 similar in all respects to thelower frame just described, which upper frame is provided with flanges81 which are secured to removable blocks 32 held in place by anglebrackets 33.

In the case of the side fines, the corner posts terminate below the topand are connected to an upper frame '34 which is similar to the framepreviously described, with the exception that the flanges 35, instead ofbeing turned outwardly, are turned inwardly, as shown in Fig. 4. Theseinwardly turned flanges lie in closely adjacent relation to a bridge bar36 .of channel formation the ends of which are secured to ears 37 and 38on brackets which are fastenedto the app'ropriate front and rear posts140 and 130 of'the described have sea two side 'flues terminatingbunker. The upper ends of the side flues are secured to the bridge barsby the provision of dowels 39 and locking pins 40, which afford meansfor easily securing the parts in position.

Thearrangement is one which permits the fines to be readily'ii'isertedinto place in wire basket bunkers, or other bunkers of standardconstruction, and by positively securing the upperendsof ther'espectiveflues against-displacement, it will be unnecessary to provide positiveattaching means for the lower ends, which will'be held againstdisplacement by being fitted into place in the slatted floor in themanner described.

Although a group arrangement of three flues has been described, it isobvious that a single center fine, or two side fines, might beadvantageously employed, depending in each instance upon the amount ofinterior surface exposure of the ice it is desired to provide for.

Although, as shown, wire screening is employed it is obvious that otherforms of foraminous construction might be employed without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with an ice bunker provided with a slatted floor, avertical flue supported upon the slatted floor and having a foraminonswall, and means extending below the lower end of the fine andinterfitting with the slatted floor to prevent displacement of the lowerend of the flue. I

2. A fine for use in ice bunkers, consisting of upper and lower endframes, vertically disposed posts connecting the end frames, and aforaminous wall inclosing the flue between the end frames.

3. A flue for use in ice bunkers, consisting of upper and lower endframes, vertically disposed posts connecting the end frames,

a foraminous wall inclosingthe flue between the end frames, meanscarried by the lower frame andadapted to interlock the lower end of theflue to the floor of the associated structure, and means for positivelysecuring the upper end of the fine to the associated structure.

4. In a refrigerator car, in combination with an ice bunker having aslatted floor, a flue comprising a lower frame, an upper frame, verticalconnecting bars, and a wall of wire mesh, members depending from thelower frame to afford an interfitting-connection with the slatted floorof the bunker, and means associated with the upper frame for positivelysecuring the upperend of the flue against lateral displacement.

5, In a refrlgerator car, the combination with an ice bunker providedwith a slatted floor, a group of three 'flues, the center flue extendingto the ceilingof the car and the below the ceiling,

each flue comprising an upper frame, a lower frame, vertical connectingposts, and a surrounding wall of wire mesh, each of the flues havingsecured to its lower frame depending means adapted to interfit with theslatted floor of the bunker, the upper frame of the middle flue beingpositively secured to the ceiling of the bunker, and each of the sideflues having a bridge bar positively connected with the upper frame andhaving its ends secured to the walls of the bunker space.

6. In combination with an ice bunker provided with a slatted floor, avertical flue supported upon the slatted floor and having a foraminouswall located inwardly from and in spaced relation to the bunker wall,and means extending laterally from the flue to the adjacent bunker wallfor positively securing the upper end of the flue against latoraldisplacement.

7. In combination with an ice bunker provided with a slatted floor, avertical flue supported upon the slatted floor and having a foraminouswall located inwardly from and in spaced relation to the bunker wall,means extending laterally from the flue to the adjacent bunker wall forpositively securing the upper end of the flue against lateraldisplacement, and means extending below the lower end of the flue andinterfitting with the slatted floor to prevent displacement of the lowerend of the flue.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 20th day of Sept, 1928.

IVILLIAM B. HALL.

